1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for filling non-circular cans with sliver on a sliver producing textile machine. The device permits substitution of empty cans for filled cans without feed interruption and without feed speed reduction even at high feed speed, and the device can be used in sliver producing textile machines. The device includes a can coiler mounted over individual non-circular cans. The non-circular cans are placed on a conveyor with their longitudinal axis plane perpendicular to the direction of movement of the conveyor and the coiler is moved over and then along each can.
2. State of the Art
In spinning mills, especially in those equipped with open-end spinning machines, circular cans for transporting the sliver from a first, sliver producing machine to a next, sliver processing machine have been lately increasingly replaced by non-circular cans. The non-circular cans are advantageous especially for automation of the production processes in spinning mills, because they have a large volume, can be easily oriented with precision, and can be positioned in a row next to each other in a sliver processing machine. One non-circular can is placed under each working place of the machine.
Two methods are known of filling non-circular cans. As described, for instance, in EP 270,164 or in EP 340,459, emptied non-circular cans are filled at the same place of an open-end spinning machine from a special device supplying a large amount of sliver. This device includes a special mechanism which places a suitable amount of sliver into the can from the supplied larger amount.
The sliver deposition into the non-circular can is performed by a coiling device equipped either with a head for simple sliver coiling or deposition or with a revolving can coiler. The mechanism for pushing the non-circular can from under its working place also ensures its correct position during the sliver coiling. After the coiling process is completed, the displacing mechanism pushes the filled can back under the working place of the spinning machine.
The drawback of this device is that during the displacement of the set sliver amount into the non-circular can, the working place of the spinning machine is out of action.
Transporting the big sliver amount and placing it into an empty can causes unsuitable handling of the sliver produced in acceptable quality on a carding or drawing machine since it involves irreversible changes in the cross section of the sliver and mutual displacement of the sliver fibers. This impairs the conditions of its subsequent processing on an open-end spinning machine, leads to rupture of sliver and causes sections of decreased sliver diameter, and thus reduces the general quality of the yarn produced.
In another known method of filling non-circular cans, the sliver is deposited into the cans directly on the sliver producing machine, which can be a carding or a drawing machine. When they have been filled, the non-circular cans are transported to an open-end spinning machine to replace the emptied cans.
During the coiling of the sliver into a non-circular can, a can coiler is seated on the outlet of the sliver producing device. The non-circular can is positioned under the can coiler in a device which displaces the can in the direction of its longitudinal axis. Due to the reversing rectilinear motion of the non-circular can with respect to the turning can coiler, the sliver is deposited into the non-circular can in cycloidal curves.
The mechanism producing the reversing rectilinear motion of the non-circular can is considerably strained and must be so dimensioned and of sufficient strength for supporting the full mass of the non-circular can filled with sliver. Moreover, the mechanism is rendered still more complex by including a device for lifting the movable bottom of the non-circular can.
Still another drawback of the prior mechanism is the necessity to reduce the filling speed during the interval of replacement of the full can with an empty one in order to prevent a considerable amount of sliver from being delivered outside the non-circular can to be filled. This amount of sliver that escapes depends on the speeds of its deposition. In fact, at high speed, the sliver that escapes between the non-circular cans may lock the whole device.
Abrupt speed reduction of the sliver producing machine, e.g., of a carding or drawing machine, unfavorably affects the quality of the sliver. Therefore, the invention tries to create a device for depositing by coiling the sliver into non-circular cans and permitting exchange of the cans without reducing the speed of the sliver producing machine and maintaining its high speed.